


No Longer Fiction: Book Two

by ldsbibliophile



Series: No Longer Fiction [2]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29935509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ldsbibliophile/pseuds/ldsbibliophile
Relationships: Phineas Flynn/Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
Series: No Longer Fiction [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192862
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

Morning dawned over the port city of Colornia as though the rain storm from the night before had never existed. Birds chirped outside the windows of the Sage’s tower as the sun spread its warmth throughout the entire building. Water dripped from bricks that stuck out of the tower’s walls.

Isabella was the first to greet the sunlight. With a yawn, she stretched out her arms and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She looked around at the other sleeping forms. She and Annie shared the bed closest to the door. The latter was still sleeping soundly, covers pulled up to her chin. Buford and Baljeet slept in the middle bed, nearly back-to-back due to the football player’s tendency to hog the covers. Buford snorted every now and then. Baljeet’s foot twitched as he cuddled up in a ball for warmth. The Flynn-Fletcher stepbrothers shared the bed nearest to the windows. Though they were better at sharing the bed and the covers than the other boys were, they were still sleeping only a few inches away from each other. Phineas had his arms tucked beneath the two pillows he was using. Ferb was sleeping on his side, one hand still resting on the book he had been reading the night before. Beyond them, golden light streamed through the window.

_ One thing’s for sure _ , Isabella thought as she tossed her blankets aside and stuck her bare feet out of the side of the bed.  _ Waking up to sunshine is a lot better than waking up to a blustery winter morning. _

She was dressed in a white nightgown, similar to the ones the other teens were wearing. The clothes she would have to wear on the journey ahead of them were sitting neatly on a nearby chair, along with her bow and arrows. Isabella stood up, shivering for a moment at the chill of the floor, then walked around her bed towards the windows.

The floor was still littered in down feathers. Before calling it a night, Buford and Baljeet had had a pillow fight with Phineas and Isabella. Ferb had decided to sit on the sidelines, reading an old book he had found, but they had leaped onto him and flattened him with their pillows until they burst. They had had to call Edwin up in order to get new pillows for the night.

“Is destroying pillows a tradition in your dimension?” the Light Elf had asked, both curious and annoyed.

Isabella grinned at the thought.  _ And, still, Annie slept through all of it. _

Ferb turned over in his sleep so that he now laid on his back. As a result, he began to snore loudly.

Isabella was about to go try to get him to hush up when, to her surprise, Phineas subconsciously pulled out a pillow from beneath his head and swung it through the air until it had landed flat on top of Ferb’s face.

Instead of waking up, Ferb snorted and flinched, but then immediately fell silent, not snoring again. Phineas put the pillow back under his head and continued to sleep.

Isabella giggled, covering her mouth to avoid waking anyone, and continued on her way to the window. Once there, she unlocked it and pushed it open.

The song of the birds became much more vibrant and beautiful when the window was open. Isabella could feel the warmth of the sun as it bathed her in gold light. Smiling, she stuck her head out of the window and let the soft breeze play with her hair. The humid smell of fresh rain on the stone walls of the tower gave the perfect effect of a new day having been created.

A little blue bird chirped nearby and came to land on the windowsill near the teenager. Isabella stared at it and giggled as water dripped onto its head. The bird shook its body quickly and puffed up its feathers before cleaning itself and looking up at her.

Isabella placed her chin in her hands. “Good morning, Little Bird,” she said.

The bird chirped brightly and spread out its wings before hopping over to the edge and taking off. Isabella watched it fly away until she heard a soft moan come from within the room.

Ferb was sitting with his legs over the side of the bed now, scratching his head and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Phineas was still lying in bed, but his eyes were open and staring at the bed drapes above.

Isabella smiled cheerfully. “Good morning!” she chirped.

Ferb nodded tiredly as he yawned. Phineas looked up at her and smiled. “Morning,” he replied.

“The sun’s shining. And there’s no snow for miles.”

As Phineas sat up in bed, Ferb groaned. “Yes,” the green-haired sixteen-year-old mumbled. “Not until we need to pass through the mountains, granted we do.”

“Oh, come on, Ferb; the snow isn’t that bad.”

“Not yet… not yet…”

As his brother spoke, Phineas got out of bed and walked over to the same window Isabella was staring out of. His dark blue eyes widened in awe. “Oh, wooowww!” He exclaimed. “Ferb, you can see for miles from here!”

Ferb finally stood up and walked over to the window. After finally rubbing the rest of the sleep out of his eyes, he looked on over the scenery and gaped. “Oh, wow,” he muttered.

“Wake Baljeet and Buford and Annie up; they’ve gotta see this!” Phineas insisted eagerly.

“Let them sleep; they can see it later,” Isabella suggested. She stuck her head out of the window again.

“At least wake up Annie; she’d love this.”

“I’d love what?”   
The three teenagers turned around to find Annie sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

“The view; come look,” Phineas grinned.

Annie sighed sleepily as she got up and started walking over. He combed her hair back with her fingers as she walked, but upon reaching the window, her hand stopped. “Oh…” she breathed as her eyes widened. Her hand dropped slowly, coming to a rest on the windowsill. She smiled. “It’s beautiful…” She leaned over and rested her elbows on the sill as she continued to stare outside.

The other three smiled in response and returned to looking out the window. They stood that way for a while, soaking in the light and the smell and the sounds of the birds.

“Too bad I forgot my cellphone in my schoolbag; this would have made such a beautiful photo,” Isabella remarked quietly.

“Mom would make millions off of it at her store,” Phineas added.

“But your parents sell antiques?”

“Yeah, but the customers wouldn’t know the difference.”

Ferb crossed his arms and set them down over the windowsill. “I wonder what the weather is like back home in Danville?” he said softly.

“... It’s… probably snowing again,” Isabella replied quietly. Sighing, she added, “Do you think our parents would have noticed that we’re missing by now? I mean, what if time is ticking by the same way it does here?”

Phineas sighed heavily as well and crossed his arms. “Then they probably called the cops or something,” he muttered. “But I’d rather not think about that, Izzie. We’re in this dimension, so we might as well deal with what’s happening here instead of what’s going on back home. I mean, we don’t really have much of a choice.”

As Ferb nodded, Isabella leaned out the window again. “True,” she agreed.

Phineas grinned. “So, how did you guys sleep?”

Isabella grinned back, noticing the change in subjects. “Well, we know how well Annie slept.”   
Annie looked up at her in confusion as Phineas laughed and Ferb smiled. “What do you mean?”

“We had an all out pillow war last night, and you didn’t even flinch.”   
Annie blushed. “I have two little sisters,” she explained, turning back to the window. Smiling, she added, “They’ve had some pretty crazy sleepovers.”

Phineas and Isabella laughed and even Ferb chuckled as they tried to imagine what Annie must have learned to sleep through.

“And how about you, Isabella? How did you sleep?”

“Very nicely,” she replied. “The pillows were so soft and the blankets were nice and warm. It was great to get some rest, especially after that pillow fight.” With a sly grin, Isabella pointed at the boys. “Which reminds me, do you two rehearse that or something?”

Phineas, Ferb, and Annie stared at her in confusion before the boys glanced at each other and Annie turned to look at the pair.

“Uh, rehearse what?” Phineas wondered as they all turned back to Isabella.

Giggling, Isabella imitated the swing that Phineas had done in order to quiet his brother’s snoring. “You swung your pillow over your head,” she said. “I think it was because Ferb started snoring.”   
Annie giggled as Phineas’ cheeks turned a dark pink and Ferb shot his brother an irritated glare. “I thought I felt something flatten my face again,” he muttered.

“I can’t help it; you snore like a rocket at lift-off, Dude,” Phineas defended, making both girls giggle harder. “You’re almost as bad as Dad is.”

“At least I can lift a sword.”   
“Hey, hey! Lay off, man!”

The girls’ growing giggles became contagious and both boys dissolved into laughs of their own.

Even as the laughter began to die down, the four teens remained smiling as they glanced again out the window, enjoying the moment and one another’s company.

Only a moment later, however, the door to their bedroom opened very slightly. Turning around, the four students found Edwin standing in the doorway. In his hands was a burgundy cloak with gold borders. He bowed politely. “I expect your night was restful?”

The four nodded, smiling. “It most certainly was, thank you,” Isabella replied. She had taken a liking to this little creature.

Edwin grinned meekly before speaking again. “The Sage has requested that you come down for breakfast within half an hour,” he announced, walking up to a desk nearby. “He wishes that you have a hearty yet early meal before embarking on your quest.” He set the cloak down on the desk and looked at Phineas. “This is for you; you will not need to put it on until after breakfast, but you will need to wear it upon leaving. The Sage wishes you to. Your presence has undoubtedly already been sensed.”

Isabella, Ferb, and Annie glanced at Phineas. The redhead sighed and looked down at his feet without a word.

“He has also requested that you, Ferb, and Annie come to his study. He wishes to speak with you before breakfast.”

The teens looked at one another again in surprise as the elf turned and left the room.

They remained silent for a moment before Phineas turned and looked out the window again.

Isabella and Annie quietly walked away to get changed in other rooms. Ferb watched them leave before looking at his brother.

Phineas sighed heavily. “I wonder what time it is back home?” he said softly. “If it’s six o’clock, then we’re right on schedule…”

Ferb remained silent for a moment before leaning forward and attempting to cheer his brother up. “So,” he said, crossing his arms over the windowsill. “What are we going to do today?”

Phineas stared at him in silence before looking over the city again. “Apparently, take a trip,” he replied. Then his eyes darkened and his face grew weary. “But frankly, Ferb, I don’t really want to do that anymore.”

*****

After Phineas, Ferb, and Annie had finished getting dressed and helping Isabella wake up Buford and Baljeet, they made their way up to the Sage’s study, all three of them still confused as to why he wished to see them.

When they knocked on the thick oak door, it quietly swung open to reveal the Sage pacing, periodically stopping to talk to a figure that stood near the fire. Upon seeing this figure, Annie gasped and the boys’ eyes widened in surprise.

Ferb frowned and Annie bit her lip as the three continued to stare; they had assumed that the Sage would have dismissed the figures after sending Annie away the night before. But there stood a pale blue, translucent copy of Annie. She gave a little wave and smiled when she saw them, oblivious to their discontent.

Annie looked around the room, whimpering slightly as she saw another figure standing off to the side. This copy did not move, and there came a golden glow from within it, where Annie’s heart and mind would be.

Annie hugged herself as Ferb put an arm around her. He glared at the Sage, who had not reacted to their entering the room. The green-haired teenager cleared his throat.

“Yes, yes, I know you’re here,” the Sage impatiently waved away Ferb’s cough as he continued to pace. “Who do you think opened the door?”

Ferb’s frown deepened but he didn’t say anything more.

The Sage continued to pace for another minute or two before sighing and turning to the teenagers. “I apologize for the wait, and, Annie, I again apologize for the intrusion.” He gestured to the two figures. “I realize I was not very good in giving an explanation for any of this. However,” he sighed. “It is rather difficult to explain something you do not quite understand yourself. But let me start with what I do know.” He gestured to the figures again. “These, as you have probably guessed, are copies of you. This one,” he pointed to the one by the fire as she waved again, “is your inner self. She is the embodiment of your personality, your interests, your desires. When giving roles for a Brotherhood, I find it very helpful to ask questions of one’s inner self to find out their character and what role they would best fit. The other,” he gestured to the glowing figure, “is essentially the embodiment of your soul. What I typically look to this figure for is one’s loyalty, courage, strength, innocence, curiosity, magic… This figure helps me to know the foundations of one’s self. But yours… well, that is where I am not understanding.”

The Sage paused, looking at the glowing Annie as he thought. By now, Ferb’s scowl had started to disappear as he forgot his frustration and listened with growing bewilderment to the Sage’s explanations. Phineas and Annie stared at the figures with uneasy curiosity. The three waited in silence for the man to continue.

After a moment, he cleared his throat, still looking over at the figure. “... According to this copy of you, you possess a great amount of imagination, innocence, and curiosity.” He looked at the real Annie. “You are from a different dimension than Phineas and Ferb. correct?”

The girl nodded mutely.

“Then I believe,” he said, looking back to the figure. “That, had I come upon your dimension, you might have been chosen as Seer.”   
The three pairs of eyes widened as they stared at the man, but before any of them could respond, he continued, “When you arrived here, I wondered if I could give you that role, to share with Phineas, as both of you are underage. But you also possess, I found, a strong magic. A kind I have not seen before. And until I can find out what this magic is, I cannot know how the Stone would respond to it. Not that the magic you possess is bad,” he explained quickly as he turned to face the teenagers again. “It is just that some kinds of magic are not quite compatible with others. I do believe, however, that your magic will serve you well in your role as Mage.” He looked back and forth between the three teenagers before him. “I hope that this explanation was helpful?”

Phineas, Ferb, and Annie only stared in silence at him and the figures.

“Do you have any questions?” he pressed.

Staring at the glowing copy of herself, Annie nodded slightly. When she spoke, it was in a very small voice. “Umm, when… when are you going to…to…”

“Get rid of the figures?” the Sage finished. The girl nodded again.

“I don’t imagine there is much more information I can get from them. I can dispel them now.” He waved his hand through the air, and the figures dissipated like mist. Annie breathed out in relief, relaxing a little against Ferb, who still held his arm around her shoulders.

The Sage waited a moment, but the teenagers simply stood where they were. “Well, then, if that is all, I imagine you are quite hungry. You may join your friends at breakfast. I will give you the last of your things when you leave.” He waved his hand again and the door quietly opened. Silently, the teenagers left as the Sage walked over to the fire, all four lost in their thoughts.

*****

An hour later, the teenagers stood in the doorway to the tower. It amazed Annie to think that so much had happened since Phineas and Ferb had knocked on this door only less than twenty four hours ago.

She stared at her feet and rubbed her arm. She had asked Phineas and Ferb during breakfast what the Sage had meant when he said she might have shared the role of Seer.

Ferb noticed Annie biting her lip. He put an arm around her, but she knew that he felt as bad as she did that neither of them could help Phineas.

Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet stood near Ferb and Annie, talking and laughing. They hadn’t heard the other teenagers’ quiet discussion during breakfast.

Soon, Phineas joined them, completing the group. He had been pulled aside by Edwin to receive a special pouch he would need to carry herbs and things he would need along the journey. When he rejoined his friends, the redhead was already wearing his burgundy cloak, the hood pulled over his head, nearly shielding his face completely from view.

_ This… is gonna be weird _ , Phineas thought, noticing the uneasy looks in Ferb and Isabella’s eyes when he showed up with his face already hidden.

The Sage came down to bid them farewell and to give last minute instructions.

“Follow the main road to the West,” the man said, pointing down the gravel road. “It will take you to the village of Vaglar. There, you will buy a map from the town’s cartographer. He will have many for you to choose from, but choose wisely; there is only one that will lead you on the right path—”

“Yeah, yeah, we know that part,” Buford said impatiently. “Do we have to do any side missions on the way there, too?” Both Phineas and Ferb glared at him and Isabella elbowed Buford in the side.

The Sage frowned softly. “If by side missions you mean favours, then yes, perhaps. It all depends on who you meet on the road… However, I would advise you not to do too many favours; the Snitches and Watchers may catch wind of your naïveté and generosity, and they will take advantage of it. Especially if you happen to have the Seer amongst you.”

His next words were addressed to Phineas. “Keep your hood on at all times,” he said sternly as the boy looked up at him, “unless you wish to give your identity away. Your hood is the only thing that shields you. Keep it on during the day and in populated areas, unless you wholeheartedly trust a person. You may remove it when night falls, if you wish, though I would advise you to keep it on when your guard is down. When you are absolutely safe, the hood can be removed.”

Phineas lowered his head and stared at the ground.

“The closer you are to the Labyrinth, the more you will be tracked,” the Sage went on. “So be on your guard.” He looked at Ferb and the others. “That goes the same for you. Your duty is not only to keep the Seer safe, but to keep yourselves alive and well, too. You now form a brotherhood that must not fail. You will need to depend on each other for guidance, protection, and friendship.”

The teenagers nodded, and the man nodded in reply before looking at Annie. “Of course, you will need your weapon.” He stated, almost as if he were reminding himself. He turned and gestured for Edwin to approach. The elf held a staff and a brown fabric bag in his hands, which he gave to the Sage. The Sage turned back to the girl. “You will not have a physical weapon, as the others do. Though a small dagger has been provided for you, as Mage you are to use magic as your means of attack.” He gave her the staff and the bag, which she took gingerly, staring at them in awe. She strapped the bag over her shoulder and inspected the staff. It was long and white, and a green gem was set in the end of it. The design was simple, with some etchings and words written in a language she didn’t know carved into it.

“Use the staff wisely, however,” The Sage continued. “Unlike the Seer Stone, which is made of pure magic, this gem only contains some magic of its own. When you cast a spell, it will help you direct it and may help make it stronger, but the magic will come mostly from you. Be cautious that you do not wear yourself out by using too much too often.”

Annie looked back up at the man and nodded. He nodded in return and turned to Phineas again. “Once you arrive at Vaglar, seek out the Mage Simeon. He will give you instructions on how to use your basic abilities when the time sees fit. Transfer your energy to the Stone, but always keep it hidden. Once you are able to master the basic Seer traits, which will take no longer than a day or two of meditation, then you will be able to use this properly.”

He pulled out a silver bar that was no longer than a wrench. It had a dark blue rubber-like piece between the two silver sphere-shaped tips, obviously there for a firm grasp on the item. Phineas stared at it in silent awe before reaching out and grabbing it with both hands.

“What the heck is that?” Buford scoffed as the redhead held it up. “That’s the puniest weapon I’ve ever seen in my life! Shouldn’t the Seer at least get something more his—”

He was suddenly cut off as Phineas passed the palm of his left hand beneath the bottom of the bar and the object began to glow blue and white. In the blink of an eye, it expanded to the size of a wizard’s staff. A gold ribbon swirled around the bottom of the staff and the top sphere expanded and morphed until it had formed a perfectly rounded orb, filled with the same blue, pink, and purple light that Phineas’ Stone contained. Two blue antennae-like pieces sprouted out on opposite sides of the orb, and another gold ribbon, much thinner than the first, twisted around the orb, finishing off the transformation of the staff.

Ferb, Isabella, Baljeet, and Annie gasped in amazement.

“—size?” Buford finished with a squeak.

Phineas held the staff up before turning it over and passing it gently from one hand to the other.

“What is that?” Baljeet asked. “Is it a magic wand? Or a special blade?”

Phineas held it in both hands now. “The Staff of Revelation,” he whispered.

“Yes,” the Sage nodded. “Once you learn how to control the Stone, you will be able to transfer its magic into the staff and use it.” As Phineas shrunk the staff back down to carrying size, the man added, “However, you must use it sparingly. You are incredibly young, and the amount of energy you will need to put into a single attack may be enough to knock you out for hours. Only use the staff if the time sees fit.”

Phineas tucked the staff away and looked up at the Sage. Without a word, he nodded, and then looked at his feet again.

The Sage looked at him silently for a moment and his eyes grew compassionate. “Do not let your heart be troubled by future events, Phineas Flynn,” he said, catching the boy’s attention. “You have only begun your quest; dwelling on the future is like waiting for rain to come. Things are always changing.”

Phineas stared into his eyes for a moment before forcing up a weak grin. The Sage nodded in return and then looked at all five teenagers. “Stick to the main road until you reach the first crossroad,” he instructed. “Then, turn right and follow that path until you find a route that will lead you into a forest on your left. Take it and continue until you reach the village of Vaglar. You will not need to wear your hoods on the way out, save for the Seer, but once you arrive in Vaglar, wear them until you reach the Mage’s dwelling. People may suspect you until that point; only when you are admitted into Simeon’s home will they know that you mean them no harm.”

“Gee, that’s comforting,” Buford muttered under his breath.

The Sage pulled out a scarlet money bag and handed it to Ferb. “Once settled in, go in search of the Cantorian Cartographer,” he instructed. “He holds a map that will lead you to the Labyrinth. This will be the exact amount of what the map will cost. No need to count; just hand him the entire bag. Money will be of no need to you once you pass Vaglar. And while the map may show you where everything is, it cannot show you where you are; that is when you must rely on your stepbrother for guidance.”

Ferb tied the bag around his belt before looking up at the Sage and nodding.

“It will take a day’s journey to arrive at Vaglar by this evening,” the Sage added. “Do not dawdle.”

Ferb nodded again. The Sage reached out and placed a hand on the Knight’s shoulder. “And one last thing,” he said quietly yet incredibly seriously. “Whatever you do, don’t let anyone know that Phineas is your brother. If the Dark Sorcerer learns of this, he will use you in any means necessary in order to get what he wants. Do not become the bait accidentally.”   
Phineas and Ferb shared an uneasy look before looking up at the Sage again. “Yessir,” was all Ferb could find to say.

The Sage pulled his hand away and straightened. “You must be off then,” he said. “Good luck and may you succeed in your mission. The fate of the world of Cantoria lies in your hands…”

“Sheesh, and on that depressing note, we head off into the sunset,” Buford muttered in Baljeet’s ear as they all turned and left. “All we’re missing now is the horses and cowboy hats.”

Isabella reached over and swatted him across the head, making Buford groan painfully. “Will you just be quiet?” she snapped, making Baljeet giggle.

The Sage watched them as they left until all six had disappeared down the road. Then, he sighed and placed a hand over his face.

“Perhaps you chose a far too young crowd, Sir,” Edwin suggested.

“No, they can manage,” the old man replied. “They simply need to rely on each other… I am more concerned with their belief in Real Magic. Especially the Knight’s. If he is ever to properly help his brother, he will need to learn to put his faith in more than just rationality.”   
“But the Seer has not even reached his turning of age,” the Light Elf pointed out. “How will he be strong enough to fulfill the final task appointed to him?”

The Sage looked at the elf for a moment before staring down the road once more. “The future is constantly changing, Edwin,” he replied. “Let us only hope that these winds of change will be to Cantoria’s advantage.”


	2. Chapter 2

“There’s an apple tree; think we should grab a few?”   
“Does it belong to anyone? We may be stealing—”

“Does it look like it belongs to anyone, Dork? We’re in a forest!”   
“I am only being cautious.”

“Cautious, my foot—hey, does anyone know what time it is?”

Ferb shielded his eyes and looked up at the sky. “Judging by the position of the sun, I’d say it is approximately two in the afternoon.”

Buford stared at him. “How the heck can you tell that?”

“Astronomy.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

Ferb knew it was a rhetorical question, so he did not reply, though he did smile slightly as he turned his eyes back to the road ahead.

Isabella looked up at the fruit trees as they passed by. “There must be fruits from all around the world in this forest,” she commented. “How could they even grow in the same places?”

“The valley in which Colornia is situated happens to have a very unstable climate,” Phineas explained. “It can be scorching dry one day and then breathtakingly humid the next. Which makes it ideal for most fruits to grow here, or something.” He stared up at the trees. “Hey, if anyone sees a banana tree, let me know,” he added. “I’m kinda craving bananas right now.”

“That does not seem logical…” Baljeet pointed out. “The climate, I mean.”

Phineas shrugged, not looking away from the canopy. “That’s just what the stone said. It’s a different dimension, so maybe the fruits are similar but different enough for it to work.”

Buford crossed his arms as he waited for the others to catch up. “Did it say anything about how to get food out in the forest?” he grumbled. “Like, other than fruits? ‘Cuz I’m starvin’.”

“We just left only a few hours ago, and you’re already hungry?” Isabella said in disbelief.

“Hey, I happen to be a football player, so I need more energy than you twigs. Why don’t you shoot a pigeon or something with those arrows of yours?”

“No!” Isabella exclaimed while glaring at him. “I’m not going to shoot an innocent little bird!”   
Buford smiled shrewdly. “Oh? And you’ll shoot a human being if we go into battle?”

Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, and Annie watched him walk off proudly before looking at the girl. Isabella blushed. “I…” Raising her chin and storming off, she replied, “They’re not innocent.”

The others looked on in amusement until a growl caught their attention. Phineas placed a hand on his stomach. “Hey guys, maybe Buford’s got a point. I’m kinda getting on the hungry side, too.”

“Hence the craving for bananas,” Ferb muttered, making Annie and Baljeet giggle.

“We left at, what, maybe seven or eight in the morning? And you said that it was close to two already. Don’t you think we should stop and fill up the tanks?”

Everyone stopped and turned to look at each other. “You know, a little snack wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Isabella agreed. “We could gather some fruits and then pack them in Baljeet’s knapsack and Annie’s bag.”

“Good idea, Izzie!” Phineas agreed with a grin. Looking about until he had found a certain tree, he added. “Let’s start with picking bananas; since I’m the treasure box, I get first dibs!” And with that, he dashed off.

“Yeesh, why’s he so crazy for bananas all of a sudden?” Buford asked in bewilderment as Isabella and Baljeet ran after their friend.

Ferb shrugged as he, Buford, and Annie followed the others. “Eats one every morning,” he explained.

“I’m guessing that’s where he gets his monkey-like energy from?”

“I wouldn’t repeat that if I were you.”

Phineas, Isabella, and Baljeet had dashed into the thicket a little ways in order to reach the tree Phineas had spotted. Ferb and Buford had more difficulty getting past all the shrubbery and trees due to their armour. Once all of them had made it to the small clearing, they stopped and stared up at the tree the Seer had noticed.

“What kind of tree is that?!” Buford exclaimed in befuddlement as everyone but Phineas looked up with gaping mouths.

The redhead looked at them and grinned. “A banana tree!” he replied cheerfully.

The tree above them had a thick trunk, almost like that of an oak tree, with features that also resembled the twisted base of a buttressed tree. The canopy, however, was flat and spread out like that of an acacia tree.

But the most distinguishable feature was the fact that, hanging from its branches, not in bunches, but in pairs or single, were bright yellow bananas.

“A Cantorian banana tree!” Phineas added, not ashamed to show his pride in his knowledge of this world.

“THAT’S a banana tree?!” Buford exclaimed as Ferb rubbed the wonder out of his eyes. “It looks like four trees tried mating together and had a baby, with disastrous results! And since when do bananas hang like apples?!”

“Who cares? Those are bananas, and I want to pick a few for lunch. Now, who’s gonna help me get some?”

Isabella, although thrilled to find this new specimen of plant, cleared her throat. “Uh, Phineas, I hate to burst your bubble, but how are we going to get those fruits down?” Spreading her arms while staring upwards, she added, “They must be hanging at least thirty feet above the ground! There’s no way we could reach for those!”

“I think Isabella has a point, Phineas,” Baljeet added. “We would be lucky if we even get one.”

“There’s always a solution, guys,” Phineas responded.

“But this… this is impossible.”   
Phineas groaned and spread out his arms, careful not to knock off his hood. “Where have you guys been for the past five years?” he cried out. “We were the kids who traveled around the world in one day! Wasn’t that considered impossible?”

“That was also the time that a certain chatterbox cracked,” Buford added. “And people thought that was impossible.”

Phineas paused for a moment before squeezing his fists. “I DID NOT CRACK!” he snapped, although it only made Isabella and Baljeet laugh. Brushing the thought away, Phineas returned to the matter at hand. “Look, all I’m trying to say is that we were able to do all those things with material we could get our hands on. So all we have to do in order to get some lunch is—”

“Wow,” Baljeet noted. “You really want a banana, don’t you?”

Phineas fell silent again as Isabella threw her head back and laughed once more. Glaring tiredly at Baljeet, Phineas sighed and slapped his forehead.

Annie, still staring up at the tree, piped in. “A human tower might work.”

Phineas pointed at her and looked at the others. “See? That’s what I was thinking!”

“And there’s notches up the trunk of the tree.” Annie pointed, and everyone followed her gaze. “They’re not big enough to climb with, but if we stand near the trunk, we can use them for stability.”

The others looked at the tree for a moment, thinking over the idea.

“The only problem is that there aren’t many bananas near the trunk,” Ferb pointed out. “Most of them seem to be further out on the branches.”

“Did anyone else want a banana?” Phineas asked. “If we can get up there, I can get one or two, maybe three. Then we can get down and grab some of the fruits we can reach without climbing. Sound good?”

“As long as I don’t get stuck at the bottom,” Buford groaned.

*****

“You know, there’s a good reason why I really can’t stand you sometimes, Pointy,” Buford growled from the base of the tower they had built—a tower made of Buford, Ferb, Baljeet, Annie, Isabella, and, at the top, Phineas. It was not a very sturdy tower, considering they were standing on each other’s shoulders, but the teenagers were able to find good handholds in the trunk that helped.

“If I miss a football match because I can’t toss a football, I’m blaming you!” Buford added loudly.

Ferb, although much calmer than Buford, was just as uncomfortable. “Phineas, could you perhaps speed it up a little?” he asked. “We need to get to Vaglar before sundown, not to mention this is quite unpleasant for those at the base—”

“He means US!”

Phineas, having just reached Isabella’s shoulders, had only just gotten to his feet, gripped the trunk with one hand while waving the other about for balance. “Look, it was because of you guys that we got sent here in the first place,” he replied. “I told you not to touch the Stone all at once, but you did it anyway. So if you can suck it up long enough for me to grab my lunch, I would really appreciate it.” He looked down at the girl beneath him and grinned apologetically. “I’m not hurting you too much, am I, Izzie?”

Isabella grinned in reply, touched that he was concerned about her. “You’re as light as a feather,” she said behind a giggle, although this was a bit forced because of her uncomfortable position. “At least, for the next three minutes or so.”

“I’ll try to make it fast, then.”

Baljeet groaned painfully. “Yes, please,” he said. “I am not sure how much longer I can stand here.”

Phineas raised his head and looked for the closest banana he could find. As Ferb had noticed, the bananas didn’t hang very close to the trunk. The one nearest Phineas was just out of arm’s reach; he’d have to let go of the trunk and lean out to it. As he released his handhold, Phineas waved his arms around a bit for balance and started to reach for the banana.

“Whoa!” Baljeet gasped as the tower swung.

Annie gripped her handhold more tightly and reached up to hold Isabella’s foot to keep it from slipping.

“Phineas, would you stop moving around?!” Ferb cried out.

“Could you speed it up, please?” Isabella asked, now clearly in pain. “My shoulders are beginning to hurt and I don’t want to drop you!”

“Yeah, and you don’t want me to pound you for taking your time, either!” Buford snapped.

Phineas flailed his arms again. “This is not as easy as it looks, especially with you guys constantly moving,” he replied. He reached out for the banana again. “I’ve almost… got it—”

All of a sudden, the banana seemed to multiply before his very eyes. Phineas gasped softly and recoiled; the fruit, as well as all the others hanging from the tree, began to glow as if rainbow light had been cast upon them, giving them the illusion of being crystals.

_ Huh? _ Phineas blinked hard and shook some sense into his head, but the fruits continued to glow.

“What’s taking him so long?” Buford complained.

“Phineas, we really shouldn’t be dawdling like this,” Ferb added, now sounding slightly concerned. “We haven’t reached Vaglar yet, and who knows what will be out here at nightfall! We need to get someplace safe!”

“In other words, grab your stupid banana and get back down!”

Phineas rubbed his eyes and looked at the glowing bananas again. “Uuuhhh,” he said shakily. Reaching out again, he asked, “Which one?”

“Which one?” Buford groaned. “What the heck’s he talkin’ about?”

Isabella looked up. “There’s just one, Phineas,” she said.

“Just one?” Phineas echoed. “B-but I’m seeing four…”

“Okay, he’s starting to tick me off,” Buford fumed.

Isabella groaned before looking up at Phineas again. “There’s only one banana there,” she repeated.

Phineas shook his head rapidly. “B-but why am I seeing four then?” he asked quietly.

“I dunno… Just take the one in the middle. Or next to the middle… Or whichever, for goodness sake.”

“You sure?”

“That’s the one my uncle always says to grab if you see triples after a few drinks…”

Phineas rubbed his eyes again before holding out his hands once more. “Uuuhh, if you say so,” he replied. He leaned out and stretched his arms towards one of the two bananas in the middle. The more he approached it, the more it seemed as though the bananas glowed.

Phineas slowly reached out until finally his hands had reached the fruit. He had planned on grabbing it, leaning against it to rest and regain his balance, and then pull it back until it came loose. But to his surprise, Isabella’s advice had not been helpful; the banana he had chosen disappeared into thin air just as Phineas wrapped his hands around it. In fact, the one to his right had become the only solid fruit there.

Phineas gasped in shock before flailing his arms wildly to keep his balance. Unfortunately, he had leaned too far, and within mere seconds, he slipped from Isabella’s shoulders.

“Phineas!” Isabella cried out, but she, too, fell as she attempted to reach for him. This knocked the entire tower out of balance, and all six teenagers fell with shouts to the forest floor, having easily lost their grips on the small handholds. Within minutes, they were all groaning painfully while attempting to get back on their feet.

“Where is he?!” Buford snapped as he rose to his feet. “If he didn’t get that banana, I’m gonna pound his nose in for putting us through that!”

Isabella shook some sense into her head before raising it and looking about. Not too far away, also attempting to get on all fours, was Phineas. Although he looked like he had gotten more bruises than anyone else, he still had his hood over his face to shield his identity.

Isabella gasped and crawled over as quickly as she could. “Phineas!” she cried out. “Phineas, are you alright?”

Phineas rubbed some sense into his head before finally raising it and opening his eyes. To Isabella’s great surprise, his irises were no longer dark blue—instead, there were glowing the same shades of color as the Seer Stone.

The girl’s eyes widened. “Ferb!” she exclaimed. “Ferb, come over here!”

Ferb was helping Annie to her feet when he heard Isabella’s call. He ran over as quickly as he could while Annie went to help Baljeet.

“There’s something wrong with his eyes.” Isabella pointed at Phineas. “They’re… they’re glowing like the Stone!”

Upon hearing this, Phineas looked up at her with both curiosity and concern. “They’re what?”

Ferb got down on his knees as Buford, Baljeet, and Annie came up behind him. The green-haired teenager motioned for his stepbrother to raise his head a little, then, careful not to push Phineas’ hood back, Ferb studied his eyes, recognizing the same glow that they had had when Phineas’ role had been revealed. “Seeing,” he whispered, attempting to cover up his anxiety. “You’re using one of the Seer’s basic abilities, Phineas. Didn’t the Sage tell you to wait until you did proper meditation with Simeon?”

“Does it look like I did this on my own?” Phineas replied.

“Fine; what are you Seeing?”

“Y-you mean seeing differently than everyone else?” When Ferb nodded, Phineas looked up at the canopy until he could spot the glowing fruits. “Um, the bananas,” he replied.

Everyone looked up at the canopy as well. But all they saw were ripe, yellow bananas.

“I knew it; he cracked again,” Buford said in exasperation.

Ferb shook his head. “No, it’s an ability that the Seer has,” he explained. “They can see things differently when they need to. It makes it easier for them to find their way to the Labyrinth.”

“What do bananas have to do with the mission, then?”

“Phineas was hungry. His body was obviously craving bananas enough to set off the Seeing ability in the Stone.”

Isabella leaned towards them. “I thought the Seer’s powers were unknown,” she whispered.

“To other players, yes,” Ferb replied. “But Phineas and I played it enough that we know the basics. Seeing is the one most used by the Seer; it helps them guide the rest of the group through the game.”

Phineas groaned. “Can we stop talking about me as though I really don’t have an identity?” he asked. As Ferb pulled his hands away from him and stood up, Phineas closed his eyes, massaged them, and then opened them up again, revealing that they had once again returned to their original shade of ultramarine blue.

“Do you feel weak?” Isabella asked.

Phineas shook his head. “I don’t think I used that power long enough to have it make me weak. Although my legs kinda hurt from that fall.” Ferb helped his brother up to his feet as Isabella stood as well. While the girl went to gather her bow and the arrows, which had slipped from their basket, the Knight instructed the others to quickly grab something to eat from the surrounding trees. Phineas leaned on his brother to shake out his legs before the two went off as well. Although disappointed that he was unable to grab the fruit he wanted, Phineas snatched a red apple instead. Within minutes, the group was on their way again.

“And look at that; it took us three minutes to grab some fruit, compared to the ten minutes it took to attempt to grab Dinner Bell’s banana,” Buford noted as they headed off.

“Buford, just stuff it,” Isabella groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry it took me a while to get this out, I've been busy with work and getting ready to go back to school and stuff. So. This isn't my favorite chapter, but I thought I should keep it. Also, reading over what I have so far, Annie's not super in it, and I'm sure that's what you want if you're reading this and not the original. If everything goes to plan, it'll be more like two paths converging, where Annie's part will fit in more and more into the story, so you'll see more of her. Hopefully.  
> Let me know if you have any comments! Thanks :)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based off of KicsterAsh's "The Seer" on DeviantART. Check out the story before Annie jumps in, and check out her awesome artwork of the story as well!


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